McCoy (9)

I wanted nothing more than to run back to the room I left Roe in, but I didn't want to add fuel to the fire of gossip. It is already full from Andew's announcement at our fight and my carrying her bloody as she was to one of the spare rooms in the pack house. I would have taken her to the Beta's apartment, but Taylor told me the office was in better shape. I should ask the maintenance crew for the pack house how they feel about a slash-and-burn policy for cleaning up that space.

She still sleeps when I make it to the room. I pace, angry at Baxter for touching her, furious at her for hurting herself, and angry at fate for mating me to this witch. I should give her space since she will wake up in a strange place in the morning. It would be best if I weren't here for that. But she might be scared about being alone in a room with no one to explain what happened. My heart races at the thought of her frightened. So, I should sleep on the floor and give her personal space. But then I can't sense her as well. But I can't sleep in the bed because she isn't awake to say she would be okay with that. I can't be a creep. Pacing Pacing Pacing a quiet knock came from the door, interrupting my thoughts as they hit me at a million miles an hour. Behind the door were Darrel, Max, and Tylor. Max and Darrel carry a lounge chair from one of the main living rooms.

"Brother," my brother whispered to not disturb Roe, "everyone in the pack can feel your anxiety. That, mixed with the alpha, has the whole pack on edge. Rest in this char, watch over her, hold her hand, but please breathe; the pack needs you."

"you got this, man." Max patted me on the shoulder on the way out of the room. Darrel closed the door quietly as I settled into a chair. Her hand that was on the injured side was cold, but I assume her whole body was freezing due to her blood loss. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her in the alpha's grip, blood running down her arm into a far too large pile on the floor. My wolf was torn. Does he attack the alpha or comfort his mate. I chose his mate, running to catch her body before it fell. That ran in my mind until it faded due to my small hand gripping me for the first time. After that reassurance, I was able to sleep.

She was gone when I woke a note in her place saying, 'went to work and didn't want you to worry.' today was my first actual day as Beta. I was worried about her, but I needed to place it on the back burner to get through the day. I will check the legal office tomorrow and dig into the company history to know what I am working with there. Still, I decided to start with the pack and my role as day-to-day caretaker and conflict solver for the pack.

"McCoy!" Camile from my old pack asked me, "Are you touring the new place?"

"I am. I was also going to meet some of the other pack members," I answered as she fell into step with me. She was always hanging around the high-ranking, mateless males; she was a rank chaser but harmless.

"mind if I join you? I am overrun with so much change that it is nice to see a familiar face." She was keeping pace fine, so it wasn't a bother. "is the rumor true that you are mated to a witch?" she asked. I didn't want to talk about Roe since my wolf had been on edge since she left this morning.

"yeah, but I don't really know what is going on with that since it is all new."

"Sorry, I was just curious if she was like the witches we were always told about," Camile played with the ends of her hair. "we were always told they were unnatural and that our bites were poisonous to them."

"We were not told the full story at our old pack. Roe is nice, but she is vulnerable to a wolf's bite," I explained.

"wow, so you can't mark her? That is really hard. I wish I could help you," she said. We stopped in front of the first house I was going to visit.

"yeah, it sucks, but I need to be realistic that I probably can't be with her. And Camile, you did help. Talking with a familiar face was nice, but I need to start beta duties, so I guess I will see you around." She nodded, then walked to wherever she was going, and I introduced myself to the pack.